In an ambitious urban revitalization project, the building that once housed the Courts of First Instance at Via Laietana 8-10, will become the new administrative headquarters of the Barcelona City Council.
With an investment of 18.7 million euros and a projected completion date of 2026, this revival will result in the gradual hiring of approximately 700 municipal employees.
The building, which has been partially occupied by the offices of the National Statistics Institute (INE), will undergo a 30-month rehabilitation process. This intervention will focus on securing the building’s structure and transforming it into a functional office space.
Although part of the building is still owned by the State, the majority acquisition by the City Council came from the purchase of the space from the Generalitat de Catalunya.
The works will be carried out in compliance with two phases. The first phase, with a duration of 16 months, will address the three upper floors (sixth, seventh and attic), which will be used for the new municipal offices.
Adjustments will also be made in the crawl space and basement, as well as in specific parts of floors 2, 3, 4 and 5.
The overall intervention will affect about 6,000 m² of a property covering approximately 20,000 m², highlighting its strategic location in the center of the city, bounded by the streets Joan Massana, Via Laietana, de Manresa and de la Nave.
New administrative headquarters of the City Hall with an investment of 18.7 million euros
Once the structuring, insulation and interior installations phase is completed, the City Council will provide specific uses for the spaces and fill the offices with content during the additional 14 months of the project.
The move of municipal staff is expected to begin in the second half of 2026, starting with approximately 220 people and progressively increasing to the projected 700 municipal workers.
Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona, stressed that the refurbishment will not only bring back to life a noucentista style building listed as a C-level heritage building, but will also modernize the municipal facilities.
This project is part of a comprehensive economic revitalization plan for the area. Likewise, the relocation of some 700 people to this new building is seen as a significant boost to the retail and restaurant industry in the surrounding area.
The benefits of the initiative
The initiative will improve infrastructure and provide a new workspace for municipal employees.
Additionally, the City Council will relocate the services currently housed in five buildings in the Ciutat Vella district to the new offices. This will allow the creation of approximately 70 public housing units and the construction of the new CAP Gothic.
The release of these buildings, which house units of the areas of Resources and Digital Transformation, as well as Economy and Economic Promotion, will represent an additional boost for public housing and commercial premises on the first floor.
